A Short Scrapbook of photos in
memory of my husband, Timm.
This page is dedicated to the life we shared, the memories we made, and the stories that remain.
Much of our life together was spent in Northern California and Hawaiʻi, surrounded by mountains, towering redwoods, rushing rivers, beautiful beaches, horses, kids, friends and adventure. The photographs here are only a small glimpse into that life. There could never be enough photographs to fully capture who Timm was, the things he loved, or the life we built together.
We canoed and kayaked, hiked among the redwoods & Hawaiian trails.
We rode bikes and went skating with our children. We explored beaches, rode motorcycles, and found countless adventures along the way.
But above all, there were horses. They were woven into so much of our lives—our adventures, our work, our stories, and some of our happiest memories.
These photographs may only show moments in time, but behind each one is a story, a memory, and a piece of the life we shared.
THE MUSICIAN
If Timm had created this page himself, I believe it would have shown only one thing: his life as a musician. Music was his everything. He breathed it, lived it, wrote songs, taught others, and loved every minute he spent performing.
Throughout his lifetime, Timm had many different bands and explored many sides of music. He was also a DJ in Northern California for two radio stations and later created a show of his own centered around cowboy life and history.
Even as dementia began to take pieces of his memory, music remained. He could still recall the lyrics to countless songs—lyrics that seemed to live somewhere deeper than ordinary memory.
I believe music was Timm’s truest escape. It was where memories remained, and where the part of him that loved creating, performing, and sharing music never truly disappeared.
Because I didn’t have permission from everyone pictured with the musical bands, I chose instead to feature some of the tools he loved.
Timm's happy place was on horseback, herding horses and riding any time and anywhere.
This photo is on the back of his book.
Our sweet Wolfie was a very special dog that survived being run over by her owner's truck. Her mind wasn't typical because of it, but she was the sweetest dog we ever had.
“The line ‘The photo on my table’ in the song above was inspired by this photograph.” - Debb
Timm took this photo which became one of the earliest journal covers.
Malia and Java with Timm the first day we brought them home.
Our Happy Place.
We spent many, many days and hours with Wolfie and Lia here. It was completely private & heavenly.
Our Amazing Lia!
She was rescued at 5 weeks from someone who shot her sibling and had planned to shoot her.
Best dog ever!
Timm was an artist first. He created murals, carvings, many, many signs, and so much more. His talent was remarkable, yet I don't believe Timm ever gave himself enough credit for just how gifted he truly was.
To him, creating things seemed almost natural. He didn't always see what others saw. He could look at something he had made and simply see another project, another piece of work, another thing he had done. But I saw more than that. I saw a man with an incredible ability to take an idea and turn it into something real.
His creativity showed up everywhere—in his murals, his carvings, his signs, his music, and in the countless things he built and created throughout his life. He had a gift for making things with his hands and bringing his imagination to life.
I wish he could have seen himself through my eyes. I wish he could have understood that what came so naturally to him was not ordinary at all. It was a gift.
Timm left pieces of his creativity everywhere he went. And even though he may not have given himself enough credit, those of us who knew him were able to see what he sometimes couldn't: he was truly an artist.
Timm was a model maker.
This is one example he created for Tradewinds Forest Products in O'okala, Hi
A small mural he created for a local friend in Papaaloa, Hi
Sand Art
Timm taught himself the art of sand drawing, designing and building his own light box to bring his creations to life. With nothing more than sand flowing through his closed hand, he created playful images inspired by island life, one grain and one story at a time. His remarkable creativity and unique technique eventually found their way into a coloring book, preserving his art for others to enjoy.
Timm carving a custom door for Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong.
Timm lived some years in Arizona as a teen & enjoyed Hopi tradition, and Kachinas. He painted a collection, greater than these, and gave them ALL away.
He was an extremely generous person.
Timm's kachina drawings will soon be part of a coloring book.
Timm was always willing to create with me & bring my crazy ideas to fruition.
These are examples of his illustrations in a book we wrote and expanded into a craft for a fun, family experience including illustrated tooth envelopes and treat envelopes.
Timm wrote fun poetry, too.
A Promise Kept
Timm wrote French & Desmond in the early 1970s.
After he passed away, I edited and published the book for him—fulfilling a promise I had made to put his work into a form that could be shared with his friends and family.
What began as a promise to Timm became something much larger. Working on his manuscript taught me about editing, copyrights, publishing, and the many pieces involved in bringing a story into the world.
In many ways, this book became the beginning of The Story We Leave™.
